WRITING:
2 Corinthians 6:2 «For he says, »In the time of favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you.’ Behold, now is the time of favor, behold, now is the day of salvation.”
SUPPORTING VERSES:
Hebrews 3:7-8, Hebrews 4:7, Proverbs 27:1, James 4:13-14
MEDITATION
It's well known that one of the tactics used by online sellers of training courses and programs of all kinds is to advertise a discount that will disappear in 24 hours. Sometimes eight hours. Sometimes 30 minutes. The most determined even go so far as to say 20 minutes.
In twenty minutes, this price will be gone forever. Of course, when you come back later, after clearing your browser's cookies, you see that the offer is still there… advertised, once again, as disappearing in twenty minutes. They're trying to create an artificial sense of urgency, a false "favorable time," as if, after that time, the door were permanently closed. But that's not the case at all.
When the Word of God, on the other hand, speaks of a favorable time, it is a real, serious, decisive time. It is not a rhetorical device. It is not a marketing strategy. It is a spiritual reality. The Apostle Paul is writing here to the church in Corinth, a church marked by many difficulties and profound challenges. He is calling believers to be aware of the time given to them to make the right decisions concerning the Lord and their walk with Him. He speaks of the favorable time, the day of salvation. And he emphasizes it. Twice, he repeats the word 'now.'‘
This repetition underscores the urgency. Not the manufactured urgency of merchants, but divine urgency. It is God Himself who, through Paul's voice, calls for an immediate response. In the passage from Isaiah that Paul quotes, the promise concerned the future. Isaiah foretold a coming day. But Paul speaks of the present, because that day has arrived. Christ's work on the cross is accomplished. Salvation is offered. The decision must be made now.
In Greek, Paul uses the word 'kairos' to designate this opportune time. This is not chronological time (chronos), but an opportune moment, a spiritual window, a chance that presents itself and may not come again, a moment to seize. The message is clear: God's kairos is now. Whoever wants to walk with God must respond today. This opportunity may not return.
This reminds us of Jesus weeping over Jerusalem, saying that it had not recognized the time of his visitation. Shortly afterward, the city was destroyed. The kairos had been missed. Throughout this week, we have seen that Jesus affirms he is the only way to God, that no other name has been given by which we can be saved, that we must be born again, that having the Son is having life, that whoever does not believe is already condemned, and that there is only one mediator between God and humanity.
Having reached the end of this journey, the question becomes inevitable: what do we do with this truth, and what do we do now?
A MISSED KAIROS, THEN EXTENDED
I was invited to breakfast at a large hotel in Lagos by a Christian friend. I knew it was an evangelistic event, organized by her church, but I went anyway. At one point, the preacher invited those who wanted to give their lives to Jesus to come forward. And I felt a tug in my heart. It was inexplicable. I didn't have any structured theological reasoning, no internal debate like, "Yes, I believe, so I'll come forward."“
It was deeper than that. A powerful, insistent impulse. But I resisted. I looked at the people around me and thought, “I’m not going to put myself forward in front of everyone.” I resisted, not out of intellectual opposition, but out of embarrassment. I didn’t want to expose myself. I think my friend was disappointed. Yet, not long afterward, I had an experience that spurred me to search further, and I gave my life to Jesus, alone in my room.
Looking back today, I can only thank the Lord for his grace. That moment was a kairos. And, in my case, that kairos was prolonged. But if something had happened to me at that time, if I had died, I would have missed the opportune moment and been lost for eternity.
How many never had another opportunity?
THE DANGER OF PROHIBITING
This reminds us of two essential realities: there is an urgency to proclaim the Gospel, and an urgency to receive the Gospel. Our role is not to manipulate or pressure. But we must proclaim the Gospel as if the people before us may never have another opportunity to hear it. And when we discern that someone is ready, we must encourage them to put aside distractions and respond to God's call.
The next day is never guaranteed.
James 4:13-14: «Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money!’ You do not even know what will happen tomorrow! What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.»
“You are a vapor.”
That's what our life is. Here today, gone tomorrow.
What this means for the lost
The offer of salvation is available now. Jesus says in John 5:24 that whoever hears His word and believes in Him who sent Him has eternal life. This life is offered today.
In Jerusalem, Jesus wept, saying:
Luke 13:34: «Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing!»
The opportune time was rejected, and judgment followed. Esau, for his part, sold his birthright for a bowl of lentil stew (Genesis 25:29-34). He despised what was sacred for immediate gratification. Later, he sought blessing with tears (Hebrews 12:16-17), but it was too late. The opportune time had passed. The door had closed. Sometimes, danger is not a sudden catastrophe, but a gradual hardening of the heart. Hebrews 3:13 warns us: «Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘Today,’ so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.».
Sin seduces and hardens. People begin with a troubled conscience. Then, through constant pushing away, sensitivity fades. The voice of the Holy Spirit grows weaker and weaker. The heart becomes harder and harder. The Word reminds us that we do not know what tomorrow will bring. The rich man in Luke 12 thought he was secure, planning for the future, building barns. But God said to him:
Luke 12:20: «Foolish man, this very night your soul will be demanded of you.» At any moment, the soul can be demanded. At any age. In any season. The opportune time is now.
Hebrews 3:7-8: «Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says: »Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts.’”
What this means for us
“NOW is the time”
“TODAY is the day of salvation”
“DON’T PUT IT OFF UNTIL TOMORROW”
Acts 17:30-31 (Paul in Athens):
“God… now commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he will judge the world.”
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US
We must proclaim the urgency. The message is not: ”Consider Christ when you have time,” or “Think about it and come back to see me,” or “Maybe one day you will believe.” The message is:
“Now is the time”, “today is the day of salvation”, “do not put it off until tomorrow”.
Acts 17:30-31: «In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, because he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice.»
God “now announces to all people everywhere that they must repent.”
Joshua said the same thing (Joshua 24:15): «Choose this day whom you will serve.» Compassion and patience are key. Urgency must not become manipulative pressure.
2 Peter 3:9:
“The Lord is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish.”
EMERGENCY WITHOUT MANIPULATION
But be careful. Urgency must not become manipulative pressure. We must proclaim the truth with compassion and patience.
2 Peter 3:9: «The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead, he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.»
God does not want anyone to perish. It is in this spirit that we must evangelize, with love and compassion, without arrogance or condemnation. But at the same time, with a sense of urgency. Urgency is not manipulative when it reflects reality. And the reality is that tomorrow is not guaranteed.
Now is the time to talk to them.
QUESTIONS FOR REFLECTION
- If someone says to you, "Why now? I can wait," how would you respond in forty-five seconds using 2 Corinthians 6:2, James 4:14, and Hebrews 3:7-8?
- What is preventing you from speaking about Christ to the lost: fear, shame, uncertainty? Identify the obstacle and pray to overcome it this week.
- Now write down the name of someone you will tell about Christ this week. Set a specific day and time. Don't put it off until tomorrow.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, You have spoken to me. You have reminded me of the urgency.
I acknowledge that those who do not know Christ are lost, without hope, without salvation.
Today, I decide to act. This week, I will speak to those You hold dear in my heart. I will not put it off. I will not wait for the perfect moment.
Now is the favorable time. Now is the day of salvation.
In the name of Jesus. Amen.
CONFESSION OF THE DAY
I recognize that the opportune time is now; I refuse to put off until tomorrow what God offers me today.
I answer His call, and I will proclaim this truth with love and courage. Today is the opportune time, the day of salvation.
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